Rupee weakens 21 paise against dollar in early trade

Mumbai: The rupee depreciated 21 paise to 66.59 against the US dollar today at the interbank foreign exchange due to appreciation of the greenback amid rising US bond yields and surge in global crude oil prices.

Also, a lower opening in the domestic equity market too weighed on the investor sentiment.

Dealers also attributed the rupee's fall to increased demand for the US currency from importers due to month-end demand and sustained foreign capital outflows.

The rupee yesterday recovered by 10 paise to 66.38 against the US dollar due to fresh selling of the American currency by exporters and banks.

Meanwhile, the benchmark Sensex fell 79.94 points, or 0.23 per cent, to 34,536.70 in early trade.